Although ultimately originating with the 16th century handgunners and the 17th century musketeers and ''streltsy'', the term rifleman originated from the 18th century. It would later become the term for the archetypal common soldier.

History

As the effectiveness of firearms increased, the balance of these pike-and-musket units shifted, until the pikes were supporting the muskets. The last pike regiments were dissolved by the 1720s with the invention of the bayonet. This innovation replaced the pike, and in effect converted the musket into a pike for those situations where it might still be useful, such as following up volleys with a charge, or defending against cavalry.

Smooth-bore weapons such as the musket had always been recognised as inaccurate, requiring massed volleys to be effective. Aimed fire, with targets individually chosen and fired upon on the initiative of the soldier, was not possible until the development of rifling in the barrel. This imparted spin to the bullet, greatly increasing the 'trueness' of the trajectory, rather than the randomness of a musket ball that actually 'bounced' down the barrel. Rifles, although deadly accurate, were disadvantaged by being very slow to reload. This meant that the soldiers chosen for this role needed to be resilient, brave and resourceful, as well as being good shots. Trained to act in teams of two, each defending the other while they re-loaded, they were still vulnerable, especially to cavalry, trained as they were to fight in isolated and dispersed groups rather than as a mass that could present a solid wall of bayonets. These factors—the time and expense required in training, the limited number of suitable recruits, and the specialised roles and situations where they were most effective—meant they were highly prized, given special privileges, and 'husbanded' rather than squandered. In essence, an élite.

Units of 'Rifles' reached their heyday up to and including the Napoleonic Wars, with the British riflemen (partially derived from units of colonial militia; see Rogers' Rangers or the Royal Americans) truly excelling in the American War of Independence. Regular units of Rifles were formed in the British Army in 1800 (the 60th Regiment of Foot and the 95th Regiment of Foot). From around 1840, with the advent of the first military breech-loading rifles, the weapon entered an age of industrialised warfare, where it was mass-produced and accessible to all infantrymen. Much faster and simpler to load, able to be used while prone, impossible to be double-loaded after a misfire; the high level of training and highly specialised roles gave way to generality. The term 'rifleman', once used solely as a mark of distinction and pride, became a commonplace description of all soldiers, no matter what their actual status was. Nevertheless the term still retained a certain ''élan'', that is still found today.

Modern tactics

Modern riflemen are armed with select-fire assault rifles, hybrids of submachine guns and rifles. Riflemen are the basic modern soldiers from which all other soldierly functions stem. Though by tradition certain infantry units are based on the rifleman, they employ a variety of other specialized soldiers in conjunction with the rifleman.

In the context of the modern fire team, "Rifleman" can be used to indicate a basic position such as scout, team leader, or designated marksman. In the same context, the terms Automatic Rifleman and Assistant Automatic Rifleman are used to describe a soldier who carries either a light support weapon or its ammunition.

The term "Long-Rifleman" is often used by police forces, anti-terrorist units and small-scale team-based military forces worldwide. It is an assignment rather than a rank, and refers to a marksman or sharpshooter (not a sniper, who is additionally an expert in fieldcraft), one who is meant to expand the team's effective range with a long, scoped rifle.

Rifleman in different countries

Argentina

Mountain Huntsmen, in Spanish: ''Cazadores de Montaña''

Jungle Huntsmen, in Spanish: ''Cazadores del Monte''

Australia

In the Australian Defence Force riflemen are employed by the Australian Army in both the Regular Army and the Army Reserves. Riflemen in the Australian Army are members of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. Riflemen in the Regular Army are organised into seven battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment.

The 7 battalions are composed of:

Two battalions of mechanized infantry

Two battalions of motorized infantry

Two battalions of light infantry

One battalion of paratroop infantry

Riflemen of the Army Reserve are organized into individual state and university regiments with reserve depots being found in many places throughout rural and metropolitan Australia.

Belgium

Regiment Ardense Jagers, armoured infantry battalion

1st Regiment Jagers te Paard, mechanized reconnaissance battalion

2nd/4th Regiment Jagers te Paard, mechanized reconnaissance battalion with electronic warfare unit

Denmark

Finland

Finnish Jäger troops, volunteers from Finland in Germany trained as Jägers

Guard Jaeger Regiment or ''Huntsmen's Guard Regiment'', a Finnish Army unit

Jaeger Brigade, a unit of the Finnish Army

Para Jägers, Special Operations Airborne Infantry in the Finnish Army

Utti Jaeger Regiment, the Finnish Army training and development centre for special forces and helicopter operations

Finnish infantry units are also known as Jäger (Finnish pl. ''Jääkärit'', Swedish pl. ''Jägarna''), a legacy of a Finnish volunteer Jäger battalion formed in Germany during World War I to fight for the liberation of Finland from Russia.

France

A ''Chasseur'' designation was given to certain regiments of French light infantry (''Chasseurs à pied'') or light cavalry (''Chasseurs à cheval'').

====Chasseurs à pied - Foot Huntsmen==== The name ''Chasseurs à pied'' (light infantry) was originally used for infantry units in the French Army recruited from hunters or woodsmen. Recognized for their marksmanship and skirmishing skills, the chasseurs were comparable to the German ''Jäger'' or the British light infantry. The ''Chasseurs à Pied'', as the marksmen of the French army, were regarded as elite light companies and regiments.

====Chasseur alpins - Alpine Huntsmen==== The elite mountain infantry of the French Army. Trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare.

====Chasseurs à cheval - Horse Huntsmen==== The ''Chasseurs à Cheval'', (light cavalry) were generally not held in as high esteem as their infantry counterparts, or the identically armed light cavalry units of hussars. During the French occupation of Algeria regiments of ''Chasseurs d'Afrique'' were raised. These were light cavalry recruited originally from French volunteers and subsequently from the French settlers in North Africa doing their military service. As such they were the mounted equivalent of the Zouaves.

Modern French Army Huntsmen

The modern French Army comprises bataillons of ''Chasseurs à pied'' (mechanized infantry : 16e BC),''Chasseurs-Alpins'' (mountain troops : 7e, 13e, 27e BCA) and regiments of ''Chasseurs à cheval'' (1er-2e RCh and 4e RCh : light armored regiments). In addition one regiment of ''Chasseurs d'Afrique'' (training unit : 1er RCA) has been re-raised to commemorate this branch of the French cavalry. Since May 1943 there has been a "Régiment de Chasseurs Parachutistes" (1er RCP).

All of these units have different traditions :

''Bataillons de chasseurs'' are light infantry units created after 1838. Some of these battalions were converted to specialized mountain units as ''Bataillons de Chasseurs Alpins'' in 1888, as an answer to the Italian Alpine (''Alpini'') regiments stationed along the Alpine frontier.

''Régiments de chasseurs'' are units of the "Arme Blindée Cavalerie" : armoured units. The basic organic unit is called regiment and not bataillon to avoid confusing cavalry and infantry chasseurs.

The airborne infantry units called ''Régiments de chasseurs parachutistes'' were created in 1943 with airborne troops from the French Airforce (GIA or ''Groupe d'Infanterie de l'Air''), who were transferred into the Army.

Although the traditions of these different branches of the French Army are very different, there is still a tendency to confuse one with the other. For example when World War I veteran Léon Weil died, the AFP press agency stated that he was a member of the 5th "Regiment de Chasseurs Alpins". It was in fact the 5th Bataillon.

French rifle units were designated ''Tirailleurs'' (Fr. 'Skirmishers').

Germany

Israel

In the Israel Defense Forces every soldier go through some basic training of infantry, called "Tironut". However, the level of training changes according to the role and unit to which the soldier belongs. The "Rifleman" profession (in Hebrew: רובאי) includes basic military skills, physical training, military discipline and using assault rifle. More infantry skills (such as operating diverse weapons) are added as the level of training increases.

Basic training ("Tironut"):

Non-combat soldiers are trained as Rifleman 02.

Combat-support troops are trained as Rifleman 03.

Combat Engineering soldiers and infantry soldiers are trained as Rifleman 05.

Advance training ("Imun Mitkadem"):

Combat soldiers of Armor corps and Artillery corps are trained as Rifleman 03.

Field Intelligence Corps soldiers are trained as Rifleman 04.

Combat Engineering sappers are trained as Rifleman 07.

Infantry soldier are trained as Rifleman 07.

Additional training for combat soldiers:

Combat class commanders are trained as Rifleman 08.

Combat officers are trained as Rifleman 12.

Italy

Italian Rifle units were designated ''Cacciatori'' or ''Bersaglieri''.

The Netherlands

Garderegiment Grenadiers en Jagers, guards regiment, an amalgamation of the Garderegiment Grenadiers and the Garderegiment Jagers. Consists of one air mobile infantry battalion

Regiment Limburgse Jagers, line infantry (former 2nd Infantry Regiment). Consists of one armoured infantry battalion

Norway

Hærens Jegerkommando, the armed forces competence center for ranger, airborne and counter terrorist duty in the Norwegian Army

Jegerkompaniet, the Norwegian Army's northern-most unit

Marinejegerkommandoen, a maritime special forces unit

Kystjegerkommandoen, coastal units

Grensejeger, border rangers at the border between Russia and Norway

Portugal

Portuguese Riflemen were known as ''Caçadores'' literally "Huntsmen". Portuguese ''Caçadores'' battalions were the elite light soldiers of the Portuguese Army during the Peninsular War. They wore distinctive brown uniforms for camouflage. They were considered, by the Duke of Wellington, as the "fighting cocks of his army". Each ''Caçadores'' battalion included an elite company armed with rifles known as ''atiradores'' (literally "Shooters").

In the first half of the 20th century the ''Caçadores'' battalions were recreated as border defense units.

In the 1950s, the title "''Caçadores''" was also given to the light infantry battalions and independent companies responsible for the garrison of the Portuguese overseas territories. There were units of this type mobilized both in European Portugal and locally in each overseas territory.

At the beginning of the 1960s, several special forces companies of the Portuguese Army were named "Special Huntsmen" (''Caçadores Especiais''). These units wore a brown beret in the colour of the uniforms of the ''caçadores'' of the Peninsular War. Later these units were abolished and the brown beret started to be used by most of the units of the Portuguese Army.

In the 1950s a paratrooper unit was formed in the Portuguese Air Force, known as "Parachutist Hunters" (''Caçadores Paraquedistas''). Later, battalions of ''Caçadores Paraquedistas'' were also created in Angola, Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea.

In 1975, the designation "''Caçadores''" was discontinued in the Portuguese Armed Forces. All former units of ''caçadores'' started to be known simply as "Infantry".

Currently, every infantry soldier of the Portuguese Army is known as ''atirador''.

Rhodesia

The Rhodesia Regiment had an affiliation with the King's Royal Rifle Corps since World War I. The regiment's badge was the Maltese Cross, the colours were red, black and rifle green and rifle green berets were worn. Private soldiers had the title of "Riflemen".

Romania

Vânători de Munte, or Mountain Huntsmen, one of the most active of the Romanian military elite forces.

Russia

The Imperial Russian Army, which was heavily influenced by the Prussian and Austrian military systems, included fifty Jäger or ''yegerskii'' [егерский] regiments in its organisation by 1812, including the Egersky Guards Regiment.

Spain

Brigada de Cazadores de Montaña "Aragón I" (Mountain Huntsmen Brigade "Aragón I")

Spanish Riflemen were as Cazadores.

Sweden

Jägare, elite units in the Swedish Armed Forces

Fallskärmsjägarna, the Parachute Huntsmens' Corps

Fallskärmsjägarskolan, the Swedish Army's Parachute Huntsmens' School

Ö-Nerike skvadron, Intelligence huntsmen

Vadsbo skvadron, Airborne huntsmen

Fjälljägarna, Arctic warfare huntsmen

Kustjägarna, Coastal huntsmen

United Kingdom

From their inception the British Rifle Regiments were distinguished by a dark green dress with blackened buttons, black leather equipment and sombre facing colours that gave them what was really a modern aspect - designed for concealment rather than display. This has been retained until the present day for those British units that still carry on the traditions of the riflemen. Their most famous weapon was the 'Baker rifle'.

60th rifles/King's Royal Rifle Corps

95th Rifles/The Rifle Brigade

The Light Infantry

The Royal Green jackets

The Rifles

The rank of Rifleman instead of Private was officially started in 1923.

United States

In 1808, the United States Army created its first Rifle Regiment. During the War of 1812 three more Rifle Regiments were raised but disbanded after the war. The Rifle Regiment was disbanded in 1821. During the Civil War, Sharpshooter regiments were raised in the North with several companies being raised by individual states for their own regiments.

In the United States Marine Corps, the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 0311 is for "Rifleman." It is the primary infantry MOS for the Marine Corps, equivalent to the U.S. Army MOS for Infantryman. The training for Riflemen is conducted at the U.S. Marine Corps School of Infantry.

See also

Service rifle

Assault rifle

Battle rifle

Jaeger

Sharps Rifle

Chasseur

Fusilier

Grenadier

Musketeer

Infantry

Skirmisher

References and notes

Category:Infantry Category:Combat occupations

fr:Rifleman it:Fuciliere ja:猟騎兵 no:Jeger (soldat) pl:Strzelcy pt:Caçador (militar)

Name	Sammy Davis, Jr.
Alt	Black-and-white photograph of an elderly African-American man wearing a striped shirt, grey trousers, a watch and various jewelry, sitting hunched on a sofa with a sombre expression.
Birth name	Samuel George Davis, Jr.
Birth date	December 08, 1925
Birth place	Harlem, New York, U.S.
Death date	May 16, 1990
Death place	Beverly Hills, California, U.S. Interred: Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Death cause	Throat cancer
Other names
Occupation	Singer, tap dancer, actor, musician
Years active	1928–1990
Spouse	Loray White (1958-1959)May Britt (1960-1968)Altovise Davis (1970-1990)
Religion	Judaism
Children	Tracey (b. 1961) Mark (b. 1960) Jeff (b. 1964) Manny (b. 1988)
Parents	Sammy Davis, Sr. (father) Elvera Sanchez (mother)
Website	sammydavis-jr.com
Footnotes	}}

Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American entertainer.

Primarily a dancer and singer, Davis started as a child vaudevillian who became known for his performances on Broadway and Las Vegas. He went on to become a world famous recording artist, television and film star. Davis was also a member of Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack".

At the age of three Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father and "uncle" as the Will Mastin Trio, toured nationally, and after military service, returned to the trio. Davis became an overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's after the 1951 Academy Awards. With the trio, he became a recording artist. In 1954, he lost his left eye in an automobile accident.

Though his film career had begun as a child in 1933, in 1960, he appeared in the first Rat Pack movie, ''Ocean's 11''. After a starring role on Broadway in 1956's ''Mr Wonderful'', Davis returned to the stage in 1964's ''Golden Boy'', and in 1966 had his own TV variety show, ''The Sammy Davis Jr. Show''. Davis's career slowed in the late sixties, but he had a hit record with "The Candy Man", in 1972, and became a star in Las Vegas.

As an African American, Davis was the victim of racism throughout his life, and was a large financial supporter of civil rights causes. Davis had a complex relationship with the African-American community, and attracted criticism after physically embracing Richard Nixon in 1970. One day on a golf course with Jack Benny, he was asked what his handicap was. "Handicap?" he asked. "Talk about handicap — I'm a one-eyed Negro Jew." This was to become a signature comment, recounted in his autobiography, and in countless articles.

After reuniting with Sinatra and Dean Martin in 1987, Davis toured with them and Liza Minnelli internationally, before dying of throat cancer in 1990. He died in debt to the Internal Revenue Service, and his estate was the subject of legal battles.

Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for his television performances. He was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987, and in 2001, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Early life

Samuel George Davis, Jr. was born in New York City, New York, to Sammy Davis, Sr. (1900–1988), an African-American entertainer, and Elvera Sanchez (1905–2000), a tap dancer. During his lifetime, Davis, Jr. stated that his mother was Puerto Rican and born in San Juan; however, in the 2003 biography ''In Black and White'', author Wil Haygood writes that Davis, Jr.'s mother was born in New York City to Cuban American parents, and that Davis, Jr. claimed he was Puerto Rican because he feared anti-Cuban backlash would hurt his record sales.

Davis's parents were vaudeville dancers. As an infant, he was raised by his paternal grandmother. When he was three years old, his parents separated. His father, not wanting to lose custody of his son, took him on tour. Davis learned to dance from his father and his "uncle" Will Mastin, who led the dance troupe his father worked for. Davis joined the act as a child and they became the Will Mastin Trio. Throughout his career, Davis included the Will Mastin Trio in his billing. Mastin and his father shielded him from racism. Snubs were explained as jealousy, for instance. When Davis served in the United States Army during World War II, however, he was confronted by strong racial prejudice. He later said, "Overnight the world looked different. It wasn't one color any more. I could see the protection I'd gotten all my life from my father and Will. I appreciated their loving hope that I'd never need to know about prejudice and hate, but they were wrong. It was as if I'd walked through a swinging door for eighteen years, a door which they had always secretly held open."

Career

Davis, Jr. was hired to sing the title track for the Universal Pictures film ''Six Bridges to Cross'', recording it on December 2, 1954.

During service in WWII, the Army assigned Davis to an integrated entertainment Special Services unit and he found that the spotlight lessened the prejudice. Even prejudiced white men admired and respected his performances. "My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking," he said.

After his discharge, Davis rejoined the family dance act, which played at clubs around Portland, Oregon. He began to achieve success on his own and was singled out for praise by critics, releasing several albums. This led to his appearance in the Broadway play ''Mr. Wonderful'' in 1956.

In 1959, Davis became a member of the famous "Rat Pack", led by his friend Frank Sinatra, which included fellow performers such as Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. Initially, Sinatra called the gathering "the Clan", but Sammy voiced his opposition, saying that it reminded people of the racist Ku Klux Klan. Sinatra renamed the group "the Summit", but the media referred to them as the Rat Pack.

Davis was a headliner at The Frontier Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, but he was required (as were all black performers in the 1950s) to lodge in a rooming house on the west side of the city, instead of in the hotels as his white colleagues did. No dressing rooms were provided for black performers, and they had to wait outside by the swimming pool between acts. Davis and other black artists could entertain, but could not stay at the hotels where they performed, gamble in the casinos, nor dine or drink in the hotel restaurants and bars. Davis later refused to work at places which practiced racial segregation.

In 1964, Davis was starring in ''Golden Boy'' at night and shooting his own New York-based afternoon talk show during the day. When he could get a day off from the theater, he would be recording new songs in the studio, or performing live, often at charity benefits as far away as Miami, Chicago, and Las Vegas, or doing television variety specials in Los Angeles. Davis knew he was cheating his family of his company, but he could not help himself; as he later said, he was incapable of standing still.

Although he was still a draw in Las Vegas, Davis's musical career had sputtered by the latter 1960s, although he had a #11 hit (#1 on the Easy Listening singles chart) with "I've Gotta Be Me" in 1969. His effort to update his sound and reconnect with younger people resulted in some embarrassing "hip" musical efforts with the Motown record label. But then, even as his career seemed at its nadir, Sammy had an unexpected hit with "Candy Man". Although he did not particularly care for the song and was chagrined that he was now best known for it, Davis made the most of his opportunity and revitalized his career. Although he enjoyed no more Top 40 hits, he did enjoy popularity with his performance of the theme song from the T.V. series Baretta (1975–1978) which was not released as a single but was given radio play and he remained a live act beyond Vegas for his career. He occasionally landed television and film parts, including cameo visits to the ''All in the Family'' (during which he kisses Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) on the cheek) and, with wife Altovise Davis, on ''Charlie's Angels''. In the 1970s, he appeared in commercials in Japan for Suntory whiskey.

On December 11, 1967, NBC broadcast a musical-variety special entitled ''Movin' With Nancy''. In addition to the Emmy Award-winning musical performances, the show is notable for Nancy Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. greeting each other with a kiss, one of the first black-white kisses in U.S. television history.

It's been said Davis had a friendship with Elvis Presley. Davis sang a cover-version of Presley's song "In The Ghetto" and made a cameo-appearance in Presley's concert-movie ''Elvis: That's the Way It Is''. One year later, he made a cameo appearance in a James Bond movie, but the scene he appeared in was deleted.

In Japan, Davis appeared in television commercials for coffee, and in the U.S. he joined Sinatra and Martin in a radio commercial for a Chicago car dealership.

Davis was a fan of the daytime soap operas, particularly the shows produced by the American Broadcasting Company. This led to a cameo appearance on ''General Hospital'' and a recurring role as character Chip Warren on ''One Life to Live'', for which he received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1980. He was featured on the ''CBS News with Walter Cronkite'' in a profile filed by current CBS News political correspondent Jeff Greenfield about the final episode of ''Love of Life'' in 1980. He was also a game show fan, appearing on the ABC version of ''Family Feud'' in 1979, and hosting a question with Richard Dawson watching from the sidelines. He appeared on ''Tattletales'' with third wife Altovise Davis in the 1970s. He made a cameo during an episode of the NBC version of ''Card Sharks'' in 1981.

In addition to American soaps, he was also a huge fan of the Australian show Prisoner: Cell Block H. Whilst in Melbourne during the mid-eighties he visited the set of the programme, at Grundy's studio in Nunawading, to see production for himself. Arriving in the grounds by helicopter, he toured the studio and met several of the cast, including his favourite actress in the show, Maggie Kirkpatrick. Davis wanted to make an appearance in Prisoner, but the show had ended (in 1986) before this could be arranged.

Davis was an avid photographer who enjoyed shooting family and acquaintances. His body of work was detailed in a 2007 book by Burt Boyar. "Jerry [Lewis] gave me my first important camera, my first 35 millimeter, during the Ciro's period, early '50s", Boyar quotes Davis. "And he hooked me." Davis used a medium format camera later on to capture images. Again quoting Davis, "Nobody interrupts a man taking a picture to ask ... 'What's that nigger doin' here?'". His catalog includes rare photos of his father dancing onstage as part of the Will Mastin Trio and intimate snapshots of close friends Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Nat "King" Cole, and Marilyn Monroe. His political affiliations also were represented, in his images of Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. His most revealing work comes in photographs of wife May Britt and their three children, Tracey, Jeff and Mark.

Davis was an enthusiastic shooter and gun owner. He participated in fast-draw competitions -- Johnny Cash recalled that Sammy was said to be capable of drawing and firing a Colt Single Action revolver in less than a quarter of a second. Davis was skilled at fast and fancy gunspinning, and appeared on TV variety shows showing off this skill. He appeared in Western films and as a guest star on several "Golden Age" T.V. Westerns.

Personal life

Car accident and conversion to Judaism

Davis nearly died in an automobile accident on November 19, 1954 in San Bernardino, California, as he was making a return trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. The accident occurred at a fork in U.S. Highway 66 at Cajon Boulevard and Kendall Drive. Davis lost his left eye as a result; he wore an eye patch for at least six months following the accident. He appeared on ''What's My Line'' wearing the patch. Later, he was fitted for a glass eye, which he wore for the rest of his life.

While in the hospital, Davis' friend, performer Eddie Cantor, told him about the similarities between the Jewish and black cultures. Prompted by this conversation, Davis — who was born to a Catholic mother and Protestant father — began studying the history of Jews. He converted to Judaism several years later. One passage from his readings (from the book ''A History of The Jews'' by Abram L. Sachar), describing the endurance of the Jewish people, intrigued him in particular: "The Jews would not die. Three millennia of prophetic teaching had given them an unwavering spirit of resignation and had created in them a will to live which no disaster could crush". In many ways, the accident marked a turning point in Davis' career, taking him from a well-known entertainer to a national celebrity and icon.

Marriages

In the mid-1950s, Sammy was involved with Kim Novak, a movie star under contract to Columbia Studios. The head of the studio, Harry Cohn, was worried about the negative effect this would have on the studio because of the prevailing taboo against miscegenation. He called his friend, the mobster Johnny Roselli, who was asked to tell Davis that he had to stop the affair with Novak. Roselli arranged for Davis to be kidnapped for a few hours to throw a scare into him. His hastily arranged and soon-dissolved marriage to black dancer Loray White in 1958 was an attempt to quiet the controversy.

In 1960, Davis caused controversy again when he married white Swedish-born actress May Britt. Davis received hate mail while starring in the Broadway musical adaptation of ''Golden Boy'' from 1964-1966 (for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor). At the time Davis appeared in the play, interracial marriages were forbidden by law in 31 US states, and only in 1967 were those laws ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. Davis and Britt had one daughter and adopted two sons. Davis performed almost continuously and spent little time with his wife. They divorced in 1968, after Davis admitted to having had an affair with singer Lola Falana. That year, Davis started dating Altovise Gore, a dancer in ''Golden Boy''. They were married on May 11, 1970 by the Reverend Jesse Jackson. They adopted a child and remained married until Davis's death in 1990.

Political beliefs

Although Davis had been voting Democratic, he felt a lack of respect from the John F. Kennedy presidency. He had been removed from the list of performers for Kennedy's inaugural party (hosted by Davis' close friend Frank Sinatra) because of Davis's recent interracial marriage to May Britt on November 13, 1960, in order to quell any controversy.

In the early 1970s, Davis supported Republican President Richard M. Nixon (and gave the startled President a hug during a live television broadcast). The incident was controversial, and Davis was given a hostile reception by his peers. Previously Davis had won their respect with his performance as Joe Wellington Jr. in ''Golden Boy'' and his participation in the Civil Rights Movement. Nixon invited Davis to sleep in the White House in 1973, which is believed to be the first time an African-American was invited to do so. Davis spent the night in the Queens' Bedroom. Unlike Sinatra, Davis voted Democratic for President again after the Nixon administration, supporting the campaigns of Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1984 and 1988.

Death

Davis died in Beverly Hills, California on May 16, 1990, of complications from throat cancer. Earlier, when he was told that surgery (laryngectomy) offered him the best chance of survival, Davis replied he would rather keep his voice than have a part of his throat removed; he subsequently was treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. However, a few weeks prior to his death his entire larynx was removed during surgery. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California next to his father and Will Mastin.

On May 18, 1990, two days after Davis' death, the neon lights of the Las Vegas strip were darkened for ten minutes, as a tribute to him.

Portrayals

Davis was portrayed by Don Cheadle in the HBO movie ''The Rat Pack'', a made-for-TV movie about the pack of entertainers. Cheadle won a Golden Globe award for his performance.

Davis impersonation has been a regular act in Eddie Griffin's career, be it at stage or TV.

On ''Saturday Night Live'', Davis has been portrayed by Garrett Morris, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal and Tim Meadows.

Davis was portrayed on the popular sketch comedy show ''In Living Color'' by Tommy Davidson, notably a parody of the movie ''Ghost'', in which the ghost of Davis enlists the help of Whoopi Goldberg to communicate with his wife.

David Raynr also portrayed Davis in the miniseries ''Sinatra'', a TV movie about the life of Frank Sinatra.

Davis was portrayed by Keith Powell in an episode of ''30 Rock'' entitled "Subway Hero".

In the 1993 film ''Wayne's World 2'', Tim Meadows portrays Davis in the dream sequence with Michael A. Nickles as Jim Morrison.

He was portrayed by Paul Sharma in the 2003 West End production ''Rat Pack Confidential''.

In September 2009, the musical ''Sammy: Once in a Lifetime'' premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego with book, music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, and additional songs by Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The title role was played by Broadway Tony Award nominee Obba Babatundé.

Davis was mentioned in British singer Amy Winehouse's Back to Black album on the song Me and Mr. Jones. The lyrics are as follows "Side from Sammy you're my best black Jew."

A black and white portrait of Davis, drawn by Jim Blanchard, adorns the cover of Avant-garde rock band Oxbow's second album "King Of The Jews".

Midwest radio personality Kevin Matthews impersonated Sammy Davis, Jr. many times on his radio show.

Comedian Jim Carrey has portrayed Davis on stage in a stand up routine

He was also recognized in the film Everything is Illuminated (Liev Schreiber, 2005) as the tour guide's pet dog, or "Seeing Eye Bitch", named Samuel Davis, Jr., Jr.

Discography

Honors and awards

Grammy Awards

{|class=wikitable |- ! Year ! Category ! Song ! Result ! Notes |- align=center |2002 |Grammy Hall of Fame Award |"What Kind of Fool Am I?" |Inducted |Recorded in 1962 |- align=center |2001 |Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | |Winner | |- align=center |1972 |Pop Male Vocalist |"Candy Man" |Nominee | |- align=center |1962 |Record of the Year |"What Kind of Fool Am I" |Nominee | |- align=center |1962 |Male Solo Vocal Performance |"What Kind of Fool Am I" |Nominee | |}

Emmy Awards

{|class=wikitable ! Year ! Category ! Program ! Result |- align=center | |Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy |''Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th Anniversary Celebration'' |Winner |- align=center |1989 |Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series |''The Cosby Show'' |Nominee |- align=center |1980 |Outstanding Cameo Appearance in a Daytime Drama Series |''One Life to Live'' |Nominee |- align=center |1966 |Outstanding Variety Special |''The Swinging World of Sammy Davis Jr.'' |Nominee |- align=center |1956 |Best Specialty Act — Single or Group |Sammy Davis Jr. |Nominee |}

Other honors

{|class=wikitable |- ! Year ! Category ! Organization ! Program ! Result |- align=center |2008 |International Civil RightsWalk of Fame |Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site | |Inducted |- align=center |2006 |Las Vegas Walk of Stars |front of Riviera Hotel | |Inducted |- align=center |1989 |NAACP Image Award |NAACP | |Winner |- align=center |1987 |Kennedy Center Honors |John F. Kennedy Center forthe Performing Arts | |Honoree |- align=center |1977 |Best TV Actor — Musical/Comedy |Golden Globe |''Sammy and Company'' (1975) |Nominee |- align=center |1974 |Special Citation Award |National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences | |Winner |- align=center |1968 |NAACP Spingarn Medal Award |NAACP | |Winner |- align=center |1965 |Best Actor — Musical |Tony Award |''Golden Boy'' |Nominee |- align=center |1960 |Hollywood Walk of Fame | | |Star at 6254 Hollywood Blvd. |}

Filmography

''Rufus Jones for President'' (1933)

''Seasoned Greetings'' (1933)

''Sweet and Low'' (1947)

''Meet Me in Las Vegas'' (1956)

''Anna Lucasta'' (1959)

''Porgy and Bess'' (1959)

''Ocean's Eleven'' (1960)

''Pepe'' (1960)

''Sergeants 3'' (1962)

''The Threepenny Opera'' (1962)

''Convicts 4'' (1962)

''Johnny Cool'' (1963)

''Robin and the 7 Hoods'' (1964)

''Nightmare in the Sun'' (1965)

''The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World'' (1965)(title song)

''A Man Called Adam'' (1966)

''Alice in Wonderland (or What’s a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?)'' (1966)

''Salt and Pepper'' (1968)

''The Fall'' (1969)

''Sweet Charity'' (1969)

''One More Time'' (1970)

''Elvis: That's the Way It Is'' (1970)

''Diamonds Are Forever'' (1971; deleted scene)

''Save the Children'' (1973)

''Gone with the West'' (1975)

''Sammy Stops the World'' (1978)

''The Cannonball Run'' (1981)

''Heidi's Song'' (1982)

''Cracking Up'' (1983)

''Broadway Danny Rose'' (1984)

''Cannonball Run II'' (1984)

''Alice in Wonderland'' (1985)

''That's Dancing!'' (1985)

''Knights of the City'' (1986)

''The Perils of P.K.'' (1986)

''Moon Over Parador'' (1988)

''Tap'' (1989)

''The Kid Who Loved Christmas'' (1990, last role)

Stage

''Mr. Wonderful'' (1957), musical

''Golden Boy'' (1964), musical - Tony Nomination for Best Actor in a Musical

''Sammy'' (1974), special performance featuring Davis with the Nicholas Brothers

''Stop the World - I Want to Get Off'' (1978) musical revival

TV

''The Rifleman'' - In the episode "Two Ounces of Tin (#4.21)" (19 February 1962),Davis portrays Tip Corey and he has a reputation as a ruthless killer. Micah tells him to ride out of town and Corey refuses and delivers Micah an ultimatum...take his badge off and throw it into the dirt by sundown or he'll kill him. Lucas convinces Micah that Corey won't be back by sundown so Micah leaves on business and Lucas pins on the badge. The threat still holds and Corey delivers his ultimatum to Lucas.

''Ben Casey'' - In the episode "Allie" (1963), Davis portrays Allie Burns, a professional baseball player who loses his eye in an accident.

''The Patty Duke Show'' In "Will the Real Sammy Davis Please Hang Up?" (1965), Davis plays himself. Patty needs to arrange for a Hollywood star to perform at her high school prom. Davis notices Patty wearing a sandwich sign asking for help from any Hollywood star. Sammy wants to help Patty out but Davis' agent does not like the idea and does not contact Patty. Davis contacts Patty by phone but she does not believe it is him. He then arrives at the prom and performs.

''I Dream of Jeannie'' - In the episode "The Greatest Entertainer in the World" (1967), Tony needs Davis to entertain for General Peterson's 10th anniversary at NASA, but he is previously booked. Jeannie comes to the rescue by creating a duplicate of Davis.

''All in the Family'' - In "Sammy's Visit" (1972), Davis plays himself. He leaves his briefcase in Archie Bunker's cab and goes to Archie's house to retrieve it. He meets Archie, Edith, Mike, Gloria, and Lionel Jefferson. When Davis and Archie talk, Davis quickly discovers that Archie is prejudiced, even though Archie believes that he is not. During a family conversation Archie has before Sammy arrives, Archie tells the others to avoid mentioning Sammy's glass eye. Archie then asks Sammy, "Would you like cream and sugar in your eye?" meaning to say coffee. At the end of the show, Munson, the owner of the cab who brings back the briefcase, takes a photo of Archie and Sammy. Right before the camera flashes, Davis kisses Archie on the cheek, to Archie's surprise. Davis returns in the 1980 episode "The Return of Sammy" in ''Archie Bunker's Place''.

''The Jeffersons'' In "What Makes Sammy Run?" (1984), Davis plays himself, where he is staying at an apartment directly next door to the Jeffersons'. Only Louise knows he is there, and Sammy asks her to hide his presence until he leaves.

''Gimme a Break'' - in "The Lookalike" (1985)

''The Cosby Show'' - In "No Way, Baby" (1989), Davis plays Ray Palomino, the grandfather of one of Dr. Huxtable's patients; Ray turns out to be hiding the fact that he is illiterate.

See also

Rat Pack

Jews and Judaism in the African diaspora

List of notable Hispanics from the United States

References

Further reading

Autobiographies

''Yes, I Can'' (with Burt and Jane Boyar) (1965) ISBN 0-374-52268-5

''Why Me?'' (with Burt and Jane Boyar) (1980) ISBN 0-446-36025-2

''Sammy'' (with Burt and Jane Boyar) (2000) ISBN 0-374-29355-4; consolidates the two previous books and includes additional material

''Hollywood in a Suitcase'' (1980) ISBN 0-425-05091-2

Biographies

Haygood, Wil. (2003) ''In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr''. Billboard Books. ISBN 9780823083954

Birkbeck, Matt. (2008) ''Deconstructing Sammy''. Amistad. ISBN 9780061450662

Silber, Jr., Arthur (2003) "Sammy Davis, Jr: Me and My Shadow, Samart Enterprises, ISBN 0965567559

Other

''Photo by Sammy Davis, Jr.'' (Burt Boyar) (2007) ISBN 0-061-14605-6

External links

Discography of Sammy Davis, Jr.'s Recording Career

Obituary, NY Times, May 17, 1990 ''Sammy Davis Jr. Dies at 64; Top Showman Broke Barriers''

Sammy Davis Jr. talks to draft dodgers in Canada, CBC Archives

Category:African American actors Category:African American dancers Category:African American musicians Category:American impressionists (entertainers) Category:American jazz singers Category:American male singers Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:American soap opera actors Category:American tap dancers Category:American people with disabilities Category:African-American Jews Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Category:Cancer deaths in California Category:Charly Records artists Category:Converts to Judaism Category:Deaths from esophageal cancer Category:Decca Records artists Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:People from Harlem Category:Traditional pop music singers Category:Vaudeville performers Category:1925 births Category:1990 deaths Category:Spingarn Medal winners

bg:Сами Дейвис cs:Sammy Davis, Jr. da:Sammy Davis Jr. de:Sammy Davis junior es:Sammy Davis, Jr. fr:Sammy Davis Jr. hr:Sammy Davis Jr. id:Sammy Davis, Jr. it:Sammy Davis Jr. he:סמי דייוויס ג'וניור hu:Sammy Davis Jr. nl:Sammy Davis jr. ja:サミー・デイヴィスJr. no:Sammy Davis jr. pl:Sammy Davis Jr. pt:Sammy Davis, Jr. ro:Sammy Davis Jr. ru:Дэвис, Сэмми simple:Sammy Davis, Jr. sh:Sammy Davis Junior fi:Sammy Davis Jr. sv:Sammy Davis, Jr. tr:Sammy Davis, Jr.